TEMECULA: Man pleads not guilty to animal cruelty

Staff Reports

FRENCH VALLEY -- A Temecula man who reportedly had 200 dead cats
and dogs in his mobile home, and scores of live dogs and cats on
his property, pleaded not guilty Thursday to 10 counts of animal
cruelty.

According to a complaint filed by the district attorney's
office, investigators went to his Liefer Road property Jan. 23 to
investigate a complaint of a vicious dog and found more than 200
dead dogs in plastic bags, including one with its heart eaten
out.

Investigators said that as they were trying to control about 80
live dogs, one killed another and began eating it.

Investigators also found a dead cat on the bathroom counter and
pregnant and sick cats, in addition to dead dogs with fresh wounds
on their bodies from dog fights, the complaint states.